Advances in GPGPU Technology | Jim on Engineering, Episode 54

If you want to know what and how the products from Crystal Rugged are made. Check out Jim Shaw's, Executive Vice President of Engineering Video Blog. He explains in detail topics related to operational, deployable, and high reliability computing applications.

In this video blog Jim Shaw, EVP of Engineering talks about advances in GPGPU technology and how it is being applied to rugged server applications.

If your interested in more information in video blog form by Jim shaw check it out here https://www.crystalrugged.com/video-blog/

Information on this blog has been provided by our supplier Crystal Rugged.

For further information on Crystal Rugged products in Australia and New Zealand, please contact Metromatics +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au

for outside that area please contact Crystal Rugged on +1 319-378-1636

Acromag Webinar Transmitter Applications with Frequency / Pulse Sensors

Transmitter Applications with Frequency / Pulse Sensors 

Acromag offers a variety of solutions for signal conditioning of frequency/pulse sensor signals. New transmitters feature a space-saving design, rail power bus for redundant-primary power, and easy USB configuration.

In this video Rob discusses Sensor/Instrument types including magnetic pickup, photoelectric, proximity, capacitive, turbine flow meter, and tachometers. Applications using frequency and pulse sensors are explained and then Acromag’s interface solution is described.

If your interested in more information about Acromag webinars or products   check it out here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFs8vt3VB0QQtonyvw2gX1g

This webinar was provided by our supplier Acromag.

For further information about the Acromag products used in this application, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Metromatics   I    07 3868 4255   I   sales@metromatics.com.au

Dewesoft Spotlight Interactive Magazine

These days we know that getting email after email about products from our suppliers isn't how you want to spend your working day. So Our supplier DEWESoft has come up with the perfect solution-An interactive online magazine.  

Dear DEWESoft friends, 

As you already know we never sleep, rest, wait, stop. We work, plan, organise, develop, innovate, give.

Our goal is to keep you informed, but sending too many emails and newsletters gets confusing and annoying.

We decided to make another step and create an interactive online magazine that will help you follow our progress on our latest product releases, applications, news and upcoming events.

What motivates us and keeps us going is a close cooperation with you. Take a part in making Spotlight even better and send us your feedback and comments at spotlight@dewesoft.com.

Enjoy reading the first issue, Click on the picture below and you will be directed straight to the Magazine. 

Futek Sensor Technology Product Guide - now available

Great news! Our supplier Futek's 2015 product guide is now available. 

Click the picture above to download it today!

Futek manufacture high quality load cells, torque sensors,pressure sensors, multi axis sensors and related instrument and software products used in many industry applications such as medical, system integration, automation and robotics.

As you flip through this digital version, you’ll find new products, specific industry highlights, illustrations of sensors in use, and additional exciting information about what the team at Futek is doing. Go ahead and take a look.

For further information on Futek and its products please contact Metromatics +61 7 3868 4255 or sales@metromatics.com.au

For outside this region please contact our supplier Futek +1 949 465 0900 or ehsan@futek.com 

Logging Safety - Wheeled Forestry Harvester Application

This was an interesting application article released by our supplier Acromag on one of the most dangerous occupations - Logging - and how with the use of the Acromag's I/O Server Industrial PC they are increasing the safety of the Loggers and protecting the expensive equipment used in this challenging environment.

The I/O Server is mounted externally to a lumber harvester in an enclosure that is subjected to extended summer and winter temperatures. A variety of sensors are connected to the I/O Server which processes the data to ensure safe operation. USB ports support WiFi and GPS devices that enable a supervisor to remotely monitor and update the industrial PC’s data from a laptop and track the vehicle’s location. Power is sourced from the vehicle’s 24V utility supply.

Inside the I/O Server, three I/O modules collect data from numerous proximity sensors, quadrature position sensors, and strain gage sensors. If unsafe conditions exist, movement is restricted and alerts are sent to the vehicle operator.

An IOS-440 digital input module monitors ten ultrasound proximity sensors that are tuned to a fixed distance from the heavy equipment. These sensors surround the vehicle to detect external workers and other obstacles. A remote supervisor laptop can use WiFi communication to download data and upload field boundaries periodically.

To monitor the harvester's two booms an IOS-484 counter/timer module reads data from the position sensors and applies quadrature decoding.  In a forest, the booms have a dynamically changing range of motion and it is important to know when an obstacle is encountered.  Using the I/O module's countdown timer, the I/O Server checks if a boom is rotated but the stop position is not reached in a preset time limit.  The rotation is stopped and an error message is sent to the operator console.

Wheel-weight strain gage sensors are used to detect if a tip-over condition exists.  The sensor outputs are coupled to an IOS-330 A/D Converter module to measure individual wheel weight, calculate the vehicle centre of gravity, and warn if the tip-over threshold is approached

Wheeled Forestry Harvester Application

Commercial WiFi dongles and GPS antennae/receivers are used to keep system costs down and to take advantage of the manufacturer provided software drivers.  Two high retention USB ports help keep the devices securely in place.

I/O Server Configuration

I/O Port	Description
USB 1	GPS (field location)
USB 2	Wifi (data download)
IOS-482	Quadrature (log handler boom position x 2)
IOS-440	Proximity and discrete sensors (sa fety and system check x 20)
IOS-330	Strain gage sensors (wheel loading)
CompactFlash	Windows Embedded Operating System

Acromag's I/O Server provides an ideal solution for this heavy equipment monitoring and control application. By combining an industrial PC with integrated I/O modules, the I/O Server is compact, rugged and highly flexible. The modular I/O enable users to easily mix and match functions to meet their signal processing needs and quickly adapt to changing requirements.

Advanced thermal management techniques ensure reliable operation across a wide temperature spectrum. Shock and vibration resistance withstands the constant pounding as the vehicle moves across the rocky terrain. Most importantly, the fanless design has no moving parts and prevents debris from entering the unit to provide the long-term dependability so critical for such a remote operation.

 

For further information regarding this application, please contact Metromatics

 
                                


 

Managing Power Plant Energy Usage with Ethernet I/O

Our supplier Acromag was recently approached by a University who had a power plant that produced both electricity and steam for campus facilities and they wanted to monitor the energy of the facility.  The chilled water and steam condensate needed to be monitored and recorded in order to totalise the pulsed outputs from magnetic, positive displacement and vortex flowmeters.  The volumetric flow rate along with liquid heat lost during the steam to heat transfer process was used to determine steam costs for managing energy used in the facility.

The University required

-          Uncomplicated, reliable installation that could be duplicated across the campus

-          Communication with current data historian software, InStep eDNA, via Modbus TCP/IP over the campus Ethernet network

The solution that Acromag devised was the MODBUS TCP/IP Discrete I/O 989EN-4016 Pulsed Outputs.

Implementing the Solution:

1. Set up 989EN-4016 discrete I/O modules to receive pulsed output signals from the flowmeters.

2. Configure 1-3 discrete input channels on the 989EN modules to be counters that totalise the input pulses.

3. The InStep software was set so that it periodically read the totalised pulse count value of each input on the I/O modules using Modbus TCP/IP communication and recorded the amount of energy used over time.

Featured Products: 

BusWorks Discrete I/O 989EN-4016

Notes:

989EN-4016 modules have 16 discrete I/O where each channel can be an input or an output. Optionally, this model allows the first 8 channels to be used as non-volatile pulse counters with the remaining 8 channels available as local output alarms for input counters.

Why Acromag:

The 989EN-4016 modules offered an affordable, reliable solution with industrial-grade housing suited for harsh environments. Quick and simple installation allowed for easy setup throughout campus. Most importantly, the campus kept their software setup unchanged as communication with the data historian software was easily achieved.